Behind every top-producing Realtor, there's a manager who's a master at organization -- or so it's the case with Nicky Sheets and his wife, Realtor Eleanor Mowery-Sheets. The cooperative effort of this Dallas-based couple has produced an astounding $72 million in sales this year alone -- and the year's not over yet. According to Nicky, Eleanor might pull in another $3 million before the 1997 comes to a close. In fact, Eleanor recently was named the number-one agent internationally for Coldwell Banker/Paula Stringer Realtors.

Nicky met his wife 12 years ago through a referral when he came to the Dallas area to house-hunt. Five years ago, they married, and Nicky took over the managerial responsibilities of Eleanor's one-woman operations. Eleanor sold $14 million the year of their marriage. One year later, following a few Howard Britton seminars and a few marketing tips from Nicky, Eleanor's sales were up to $20 million. And they've grown dramatically ever since. The Sheets sell properties in the Park Cities, Preston Hollow neighborhoods, as well as North Dallas, all of them hot markets boasting properties with big price tags. Although Nicky's ideas have clearly paid huge dividends for his wife's sales volume, he downplays their effect, giving large credit for their success to motivational speaker Howard Britton. The couple continues to attend several of Britton's seminars each year. But listen to a few of Nicky's ideas, and there's no mistaking that he had a little something to do with that $72 million total -- and counting.

A.N.: How did you meet Eleanor?
N.S.: I've known her for about 12 years. I was new to the area and was referred to Eleanor by Ellen Terry a well-known Dallas Realtor. We looked at 100 houses together, but then I went out to West Texas instead. We dated long-distance for about five years and then married five years ago. We went on showings together the day after our wedding. She was already succesful when I married her; she was doing about $10 million to $15 million a year. I came in with some suggestions for marketing, and she went to some Howard Britton seminars.

A.N. Was that the magic formula for increasing her sales?
N.S.: Yes -- and we also traveled to other states, attended conventions, and gathered ideas for how to improve our sales. When I came into Eleanor's office as her manager, she was doing $14 million in sales. By the next year, it was $20 million, then $26 million, $32 million, $45 million, and now it's up to $72 million -- maybe $75 million. It's all about getting beyond your own little cocoon, seeing how top producers sell, and seeing how you can improve your advertising and your sales strategies. It's also finding out how you can get better recognition for yourself and your listings.

A.N.: How many transactions have you done this year? Since Eleanor sells properties in the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and North Dallas areas of the city, are her listings primarily luxury properties?
N.S.: We've done 100 transactions this year. We had about four or five this year that were under $100,000 -- between $30,000 and $90,000 -- but most of them are luxury properties. Our average sales total is high simply because of the dollar value of the homes. I'd say our average list price is between $500,000 and $600,000.

A.N.: What's the Dallas market like right now?
N.S.: It's a phenomenal market. I'd estimate that every agent in Dallas is experiencing a 10 percent to 15 percent increase across the board. Our inventory is at an all-time low, at its lowest in 10 to 15 years. And prices are increasing. The "bigger" buyers are getting younger ... in their 30s. They're here because of relocation -- a lot of high-tech companies. The larger properties are being bought primarily by people in high-tech industries, in real estate, or oil companies -- again.

A.N. What's it like working with your wife on a day-to-day basis? Or with that kind of sales volume, do you see that much of her?
N.S.: When she's in the office, it gets tense because that means we're not selling anything. It's my job to keep her out of the office. I produce a chart that lists weekly, monthly, quarterly, and year-to-date her listings, listings sold, and her income goals. The chart sits 2 feet from her desk, and it's on a board about 7 to 8 feet wide and 5 feet high, so she can't miss it.

A.N.: To get results like you have, you must put in some serious hours.
N.S.: She's a workaholic, and fortunately, I am, too. I get into the office very early -- between 6:30 and 7 a.m. -- and I'm very focused. Eleanor gets here about 9 a.m., and we both work until about 7 p.m. Eleanor listens to Howard Britton tapes for two hours every morning before she gets in the office. It's her morning ritual.

A.N.: What are some of the marketing strategies you've helped Eleanor implement?
N.S.: Being on the Internet -- we've had a Web site for four years. If you don't have a site, you're behind the curve. I'd say between 2 percent and 3 percent of our total sales come the Internet directly. She also advertises on billboards and a moving van that has her picture and logos on the side. We use it for our clients -- about 12 of them have used the van this year -- and for different charities -- about four this year. We're using the van about three weekends out of every month.

A.N.: To what do you really attribute Eleanor's sales volume? How large a role did you play in this?
N.S.: She was a little burned out, and I just offered my insight. Once your mind is open to dream, it's amazine what you can do. And we continue to visit other offices to see what kind of strategies they're using. We constantly go to Howard Britton seminars -- four a year, minimum. And we speak at between four and six local and state conventions each year.

A.N. Do you have any specific goals for 1998?
N.S.: We haven't slowed down yet to outline our goals for 1998 -- we're going to do that next week -- but we might focus on lower volume and taking some additional vacation time. But I see us hitting anywhere between $50 million and $100 million next year.

A.N.: When was the last time you took a vacation?
N.S.: Actually, it was in July -- a family vacation. We have five kids between us, and none of them are at home. They're part of the reason we work all of these hours -- we want to provide for them -- and we buy one to two cars a year and take trips.

A.N.: Do you ever see yourself and Eleanor retiring, or will you always work this kind of schedule?
N.S.: Top producers tend to have long-term goals and exit strategies, and we do, too. But we'll be around for the next five years, minimum.